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(No Model.)

HQ P. MERRIAM.

2 SheetsSheet 1.

EXPLOSIVB SHELL.

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Patented Jan. 13,1891.

" umlunml 1' 1 WITNESSES: INVENTQH (No Model.) 2 Sheets-S heet 2.

H. P. M'ERRIAM.

EXPLOSIVB SHELL. N0. 444,556. Patented Jan. 13, 1891.

telescoping member of the primer-case.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrom HENRY P. MERRIAM, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

EXPLOSIVE SHELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,536, dated January 13, 1891.

Application filed April 19, 1890- Serial No. 348,717- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, HENRY P. .MERRIAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city, county, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive Shells, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to explosive shells in which the impact-fuse is actuated by the indentation or rupture of a collapsible head; and the object of the invention is to provide for insuring detonation of the explosive charge within the shell in the event of such indentation or rupture occurring at any lateral portion of the collapsible head apart from its center or apex.

My invention consists in employing a series of radiating longitudinal webs within the collapsilole head, in conjunction with an annular series of percussion-primers opposite the inner surfaces of the webs, which surfaces are extended segmentally to encircle all of the said series of primers, while the latter are connected by fuses with the detonator. The radiating webs thereby form firm ridges fitting the interior of the conoidal head of the shell, and when the latter is crushed at any part one or more of said webs are driven in edgewise, compressing the inner surfaces thereof against one or several of theprimers, actuating the detonator.

My invention also consists in fulcruming the longitudinal extremities of the webs in the fore and aft portions of the head, so that the exploding-surface,which is intermediate to such extremities, will invariably be driven in by a lateral blow applied at any point in the length of the webs, which thus act as levers moving about the one or the other fulcrum, as the case may be.

My invention also consists in employing a cone-shaped supporting-shell for the detonator,in conjunction with a telescoping primercase, which cone-shaped shell is attached to or integral at its base with the larger circumference of the interior of the conoidal head, and converges forward toward and against one The cone is corrugated or grooved in the direction of its length, (or it may be constructed of separate arms,) so thatthe compression of the side of the conoidalhead where it merges-into the cylindrical body of the shell w ill contract a part of the base of the cone, thrusting its corresponding side forward endwise toward the primer-case, telescoping thelatter and exploding the primer. The cone and the radiating webs are co-operative, both acting in opposite directions upon the common circular series of primers, as will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the head of the shell, the upper part of the figure showing the fuse and detonatorin position,the lower part showing the same removed. Fig. 2 is a cross-section, the upper half of the figure being taken on the line a 50, Fig. 1, and the lower half on the line 11 said figure. Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on the line .2 5, Fig. 1. Fig. at is a partial longitudinal section showing one of the immersion-fuses that are connected with the primers N, and showing the movable case for said primers N in the depressed position occupied when the immersion-fuses are actuated. Figs. 5, 6, and '7 are detail views of one of the webs shown in side plan and end views, respectively.

A is the collapsible head of the shell, made I h at the base of the cone D, while the ful-,

The fulcrum K bears at any suitable point near the apex. According as the collapse occurs chiefly toward the one or the other end of the conoidal head, the web 0 will act as a lever about the one or the other fulcrum J or K, contracting the segmental ring composed of the projections c.

D is the interior cone, integral with or fastened at its base h to the body of the shell, and into the lesser diameter of this cone (or frustum) is secured the inner end of the telescoping primer-oase E E by a screw-thread .or otherwise, The forward member E of the IOC) primer-case is composed of an independent sleeve screw-threaded to the main member E, and connected also with the apex E.

F is the detonator filled with gun-cotton or other explosive, and H one of the several impact-fuse tubes arranged in circular series filled with fulminate to give instant action. Each one of the series of percussion-primers B is connected with such a fuse-tube, and has i a firing-pin a opposite it, inclined at an angle toward the front of the shell.

6' is an overlapping flange of the forward sleeve E, which flange has a beveled or conic interior surface opposite the adjacent conic surface 6 of the member E, through which the firing-pins project. The flange e is interposed between the firing-pins and the exploding segments or surfaces c of the webs 0. Should the shell strike a solid target, driving the-apex E backward in the axial line of the shell, or nearly so, the sleeve E will telescope the ease E, stripping the screw-thread (Z, and discharge the primers B by contraction of the firing-pins within the cone-shaped converging surface of the flange-e, which acts as a wedge. Should the shell for any reason strike sidewise at the point I, Where the conoidal head'merges into the cylindrical body of the shell, or especially should the rupture occur at a circumferential point (I, Fig. 2) between the webs, the indentation made will transmit a movement endwise through the length of the cone 'D, at a corresponding side thereof, driving the member E of the primer-case forward against the member E, contracting the firing-pins as before.- For this purpose the cone D is ribbed or corrugated endwise, as appears in cross-section in the upperpart of Fig. 2, the thin parts of the metal f between the ribbed or thicker parts g becomingseparated by the blow so that such thick parts act as independent arms il'rtransmitting the described forward motion to the primer-case E. The cone D and webs C are thus co-operative, the cone thrusting the member E of the primer-case forward so as to advance the surface 0, bearing the firing-pins a, against the flange 6, while the Webs 0 contract the said flange 6' simultaneously in case the indentation occurs at a point in the length of the collapsible head, such as 1, near its base. The initial ring 6 bearing the conical surface, as also the part of the case E at the threaded portion (1, may bemore orless weakened circumferentially by reducing the thick-- ness of metal at regular distances, or by means of saw-cuts, as at t', Fig. 3. By this means the webs C may more readily compress the adjacent portions of the ring a against the primers or their firing-pins.

The construction of the dischargiugapparatus L for the imn'iersion-fuse corresponds to that described in my separate patent ap plication filed September 23, 1889, Serial No. 324,718, and will not therefore require a detaileddescription here.

Certain of the fuses (designated in Figs. 3

and 4. as ll) are reserved as time-fuses, and have the connection shown with the porous sion-primers'N when the same are thrust rearwardly, as in Fig. 4, by immersion of the shell and depression of the piston P. The ballhammer O is then thrust relatively forward, actuating one or more of the firing-pins 'i, exploding the primer N, the detonator F, common to both the immersion and the impact fuses, being actuated with an element of delay by means of a slow-burning compound k, occupying a portion of thelength of the fusechannels H. The telescoping parts of the case E E and the converging flange e opposite the cap are also described and claimed in my separate patent application filed September 23, 1889, Serial No. 324,719, and are not therefore claimed herein, except in conjunction with the other co-operative parts The spaces between the webs C may be filled with a suitable soft-metal filling similar to that shown and described in said application No. 324,719, wherebya contraction of the flange e is further insured when the shell strikes a solid target.

lVhat I claim herein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an explosive shell, a collapsible head, a series of longitudinal webs therein converging radially toward the axis of the shell, in conjunction with an annular series of -percussion-primers opposite the inner surfaces of the said webs, and a detonator for the shell charge actuated by the said primers.

2. The combination, in an explosive shell, of a collapsible head, a detonator adjacent the shell charge, an annular series of percussionprimers in the central portion oftheheadconnected with the detonator, and radiating-webs bearing exploding surfaces oppositethe ;.primers, extended 'seginentally to encircle the same, said webs forming longitudinal ridges fitting the interior of the collapsible head.

3. The combination, in an explosive shell, of a collapsible head, a detonator adjacent'the shell charge, an annular series of percussionprimers in the central portion of the head connected with the detonator, and radiating webs bearing externally throughout the length-of the interior surface of the head and having interior exploding-surfaces opposite the said annular series of primers located in-a transverse plane of the head intermediate to t he length of said webs.

4:. In combination with the collapsiblehead of an explosive shell for actuating the impactfuses, the longitudinal Webs converging toward the axis at the head, the annular series of percussion-primers opposite the inner surfaces of the webs, located in .a transverse plane of the head intermediate to the length of the webs, and fulcrums, substantiallyas described, provided tothe said. webs in front and in rear of the said annular series of :percussion-primers.

5. Thecombination, in a=collapsible explo sive shell, of a'telescopin g primer-case within the head, one member whereof bears the percussion-primers, the other member bearing a contracting surface opposite the same, and a cone-shaped shell within the head connected at its base with the larger circumference of said head at the latters junction with the shell-body, said cone converging forward toward and bearing one telescoping member of the primer-case, for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination, With a cylindrical explosive shell, of a collapsible conoidal head, an annular series of detonating percussionprimers therein, an axial telescoping primercase having adjacent conic surfaces between which such primers or their firing-pins are located, longitudinal radiating webs bearing exploding-surfaces opposite the said adjacentconic surfaces of the primer-case, extending to the surface of the head throughout the length thereof, and an interior conic shell connected at its base with the base of the head and converging forward toward and bearing one member of said primer-case, co-

operating thereby to thrust the said conic surfaces together in a direction opposing the contracting movement of the said Webs when the head of the shell is ruptured laterally, in the manner described.

7. The combination, in an explosive shell, of acylindric body, an exterior conic or conoidal head and an interiorconic or conoidal head, both united at a common base, converging at different angles toward the axis of the shell, and a two-part deton ating fuse-case the members whereof are secured to the apices or lesser diameters of the respective cones or conoidal heads, and primers or firing-pins interposed between the said members actuated by longitudinal compression of the case.

HENRY P. MERRIAM.

Witnesses:

CHAS. W. FORBES, CHAS. HANIMANN. 

